A vehicle comprises an exhaust gas passage for discharging exhaust gas, which has been discharged from a combustion chamber of an engine, to the outside. In the exhaust gas passage, a catalytic converter comprising a catalyst for purifying exhaust gas is provided.
Additionally, for the purpose of reduction of nitrogen oxide contained in the exhaust gas, etc., the vehicle comprises an exhaust gas recirculation passage configured such that the exhaust gas, which has been discharged into the exhaust gas passage from the combustion chamber, are sent to an air intake passage thereby to introduce the exhaust gas into the combustion chamber.
The exhaust gas to be introduced into the air intake passage by the aforementioned exhaust gas recirculation passage is has passed through the catalyst provided in the catalytic converter disposed in the exhaust gas passage.
As shown in FIG. 6, a conventional catalytic converter 100 comprises a case 103 for housing a catalyst, and a downstream cone 106 disposed downstream of the case 103. Connected to the downstream cone 106 is an EGR pipe 107, which forms an exhaust gas recirculation passage.
The EGR pipe 107 is provided in a standing manner from an outer surface of the downstream cone 106 and bent toward an air intake passage.